04-08-2007, 12:00 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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21 Biggest Technology Flops
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9012345
ComputerWorld has put together a list of the top technological flops that actually made it to market, so vaporware like Apple's Copeland or Microsoft's Cairo aren't listed. Sad to see the ebook listed, but the publishers have no one to blame but themselves. Unlike the music industry, which was widely established with easy to use digital formats easily transportable across a wide variety of platforms and mostly interchangeable formats, which despite the RIAA's best efforts still hasn't managed to totally screw up, ebooks are a fledgling technology and ebook publishers have almost accomplished what the RIAA obviously wants to do - totally kill their digital market.
I still keep eReader on my Pocket PC and buy a few books a year on it, but my interest has waned as so many of the books I want to read are in different formats or not available electronically at all. :evil:
So, what flop comes to your mind that may not be on that list? Sony BetaMax anyone? :wink: They problaby would have listed it but they felt guilty about already listing 2 other Sony products on that page. :lol: Have I ever told you I despise Sony? Come, sit and have a cup of coffee while I share my disdain... :twisted:
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04-08-2007, 02:07 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 797
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In my mind, a lot of these things aren't flops, just products that were way ahead of their time (ie: The Newton, Lisa, Dreamcast, OS/2) and some we're using today (I for one couldn't live without the voice recognition that's built into my BlackBerry and God knows how many phone services / banks / etc., use some form of voice recog).
Ebooks are not a flop, and in fact Sony's new reader is one of the coolest tech products ever now that e-paper is a reality and flash memory is cheap. Finally, I'm definitely not convinced that WebTV itself represents any kind of failure. Think about how much convergence of WebTV has gone on? Hell, grab a PS3, Wii, or 360 and you have the same functionality in many ways.
My point? Most of these "flops" only flopped because they were so innovative that people didn't comprehend them. The original PocketPC was a gigantic flop, and we all know how that turned out. Just look at the marketshare MS has in the PDA market now.
Being ahead of your time is not failing.
Ever.
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04-08-2007, 04:56 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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being ahead of your time doesn't mean it is a bad idea. to be successful the idea has to be good,bit has to be affordable for the target audience delivering the appropriate value, there has to be a need (real or perceived), and the timing has to be right, neither too early nor too late.
miss any of those, and it is a flop.
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04-08-2007, 06:29 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 18
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Sony Disdain
I wish more people say something about the way Sony does business, especially people who have blogs like this or engadget, who could respond to the "Cult Sony Followers" who just don't understand how to think for themselves. If only more people would read the news they'd understand how little Sony cares about the consumer. I think Sony needs to feel some financial pain from the consumers to realize their attitude is unacceptable. (For more information on that go here: http://del.icio.us/compboss17/sony )
I seem to remember Microsoft being in the same situation several years ago. Once the outrage was bad enough MS changed their tune and sure enough we ended up with quality products like the Xbox 360 and to a lesser extent the Zune.
Although I might get flamed for saying this I really think Microsoft had the right idea with the Zune it just needs a little improvement, maybe from Apple  Anyways, Microsoft still has a long way to go (especially with Windows) but I definitely think Sony has replaced their top ranking in the hall of shame and Samsung has replaced Sony as the high end product lines for electronics (Phones, TVs, Monitors, Storage, etc)
Sony- "Most people, I think, don't even know what a Rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
Sony- "Sony�s executive vice president Jamie MacDonald said in an interview with GamesIndsutry.biz that Europeans don�t mind the delay; they�ll still go out and get the console anyway."
PS3 Before and after:
http://www.chipse.cx/wp-content/uplo...backend2mv.jpg
More Sony Lies:
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate...om_top+stories
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04-08-2007, 08:57 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 185
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This is such a short list. I could add things forever. Artificial Intelligence jumps to my mind... And there are entire areas just not touched at all. Technologies that became so popular and formed brand names, before it all became so illegal: Napster.
And wouldn't it also be interesting to see what big things we praise today that may be flops tomorrow. Can I nominate iPhone and YouTube for this category? The later one will be the logical Napster successor.
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04-08-2007, 10:24 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 67
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Re: Sony Disdain
Quote:
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Originally Posted by compboss17
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OMG, not another internet crybaby who thinks it's fashionable to bash Sony. All corporations twist the truth and fib. At that stage the PS3 was just a prototype. I don't hear you crying that they 'lied' about the 20GB not having the HDMI port and then incorporating it.
How about how Microsoft 'lied' about the fact that the PS3 had 'uneccessary' HDMI/HD media focus, expense and then backflipped and bring you *ta da* the expensive Elite model. Lovely. Or how Microsoft downplay any competitor only to eventually copy them. Remember Palm? Remember Netscape? Remember Linux? Apple? Oh what a lovely consumer focused company Microsoft is. They gave us Vista, the OS that promised to revolutionise computing and change the world. They... you guessed it... lied to you.
Also, you complain of rootkits, well how about if your OS includes DRM and little spying threads that call home every now and then. Microsoft provide you with that from the get go. Sounds awfully like a rootkit to me. Oh they didn't tell you about this beforehand? More lies!
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04-08-2007, 10:55 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 110
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Not all are flops I agree with Vincent. The reason is that a lot of unqualified people got to the industry lured with office job and higher pay ... we now know some were so impatient they even did not finish school before starting to sell own OS ;-) You may call it right timing if you want but all in all you the consumer will eventually pay for re-educating space flying winners ;-)
I did not click to read the full article ... try to limit websurfing to minimum after that ANI incident... did they put OS/2 on the list ? Well .. OS/2 multithreaded browser is still faster than IE7 ;-)
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04-08-2007, 01:02 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 238
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Re: Sony Disdain
Quote:
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Originally Posted by compboss17
I wish more people say something about the way Sony does business, ...
Sony- "Most people, I think, don't even know what a Rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
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I agree. Sony stabbed their customers, both faithful and fairweather, in the back with their Rootkit "enhanced CDs".
Quote:
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Originally Posted by zetsurin
well how about if your OS includes DRM and little spying threads that call home every now and then.
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I agree, it sounds very much like Sony's Rootkit but at least they were up front about it and didn't lie as Sony did.
__________________
Bill B
Zune Tag - therealstlbud
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04-08-2007, 01:36 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by farnold
This is such a short list. I could add things forever. Artificial Intelligence jumps to my mind... And there are entire areas just not touched at all. Technologies that became so popular and formed brand names, before it all became so illegal: Napster.
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Well, again, the list only addresses released technologies, and AI is still, and seemingly perpetually, in the theoretical stage.
Napster wasn't a flop either. Tons of products became huge successes then petered out. Napster, Netscape, VHS players, the horse and buggy. :wink:
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04-08-2007, 01:40 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 305
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Vincent M Ferrari
In my mind, a lot of these things aren't flops, just products that were way ahead of their time
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I'll place this technology in that category...
" Remember Ricochet? Metricom launched the wireless ISP way back in 1994 and unwired 21 major U.S. cities with proprietary wireless modems -- but the company went into bankruptcy in 2001, leaving a few thousand subscribers in the lurch."
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3669526
It also left Metricom investors with years off capital loss tax write-offs. :roll:
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